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Equity is the Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) number one investment priority. While all EDA grant applications are evaluated with an equity lens, the bureau has also launched several dedicated programs to advance best practices in equitable economic development and deliver focused support to underrepresented populations, including America’s indigenous and tribal communities.

During the month of November, the Economic Development Administration joins agencies throughout the Biden-Harris Administration in celebrating National Native American Heritage Month.

With the designation of 31 inaugural Tech Hubs on October 23, 2023, EDA sent a strong signal about a region’s ability to position itself as a global competitor in a critical technological area, such as semiconductors, clean energy, critical minerals, biotechnology, precision medicine, autonomous systems, quantum computing, and more. We believe that these 31 regions across the country have the assets, resources, and capabilities to become global centers of innovation and job creators with this boost of attention and resources from the federal government.  

Eric Smith is the Tech Hubs Program Director at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). We sat down with him to discuss Tech Hubs, what it’s all about, and how the program is an investment in America’s people, places and potential.

EDA’s suite of flexible grant programs supports a wide range of economic development planning and projects to strengthen the U.S. manufacturing base and build an economy where American manufacturers drive global progress through innovation.

This month is Manufacturing Month, and it has reminded me of one of the things I love most about my job: seeing first-hand how our manufacturing investments are making an impact in communities across America.

La educación y el capital son claves para abrir las puertas de la prosperidad. Pero, para muchos miembros de las comunidades hispanoamericanas, el acceso a estas herramientas básicas de empoderamiento económico se ha visto limitado por desigualdades institucionales.

Education and capital are keys to unlocking the doors of prosperity. But, for many members of Hispanic American communities, access to these basic tools of economic empowerment have been limited by institutional inequities.

Disasters can strike any community in the country. Being prepared to respond to them, and prevent future damage, are critical elements of America’s economic and national security policies.

This spring, Dennis Alvord, EDA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Economic Development and Chief Operating Officer, visited Rapid City, South Dakota. He met with members of the Mountain Plains Regional Native CDFI Coalition (Mountain Plains), led by the Four Bands Community Fund. In 2022, Mountain Plains received a $45 million EDA award as part of the Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC).